Governor-elect Gavin Newsom has pledged to introduce a “cradle-to-career” system of education in California. Until now, most attention has been focused on the “cradle” end of his campaign platform — on his pledges for expanded early care and universal preschool — with much less focus on what he has in mind for the “career” side.
Presumably, Newsom’s proposals will build on what California has done already — and avoid pitfalls from past experiences. In recent years, under Gov. Brown’s watch, there has been considerable movement toward making college and career readiness a key part of California’s K-12 education system, and linking the high school curriculum to the workplace.
This week, John Fensterwald talks with Carrie Hahnel, co-director of The Education Trust—West, about the new college and career indicator on the California School Dashboard, which measures how districts are doing in preparing students for life after high school. And Louis Freedberg talks with Marty Alvarado, a senior director at Jobs for the Future, about what we can learn from California’s massive investment — through the California Career Pathways Trust — in creating career pathways from high school into college and the workplace.
For background:
- Ratings in updated California School Dashboard target more districts for assistance (EdSource)
- When $500 million career pathways grants ran dry, so did regional collaboration (EdSource)
- Sustaining cross-sector partnerships (Jobs for the Future)
- Lessons About the State Role in Sustaining Efforts to Improve Economic Advancement (Jobs for the Future)